The following days were blissful for Fionna. Her relationship with Marshall only blossomed from there, and it blossomed into something Fionna never imagined it could. It was the sort of relationship that Fionna had always dreamed about having with Prince Gumball, but now, with Marshall, it was even better than her dreams. She constantly asked herself how something this wonderful could have walked into her life so suddenly.

Marshall took her places in the far reaches of Aaa, by all the dark forests and caves where night-dwellers like him spent their time. While they weren't the cheeriest of places, it was great fun for Fionna, getting to explore these places with someone like Marshall who knew them backwards and forwards. In return, Fionna invited Marshall to go on every adventure with her and Cake. And, on the rare and wonderful occasion that Cake had plans with Lord Monochromicorn, Marshall himself would accompany Fionna as her strong and trustworthy sidekick. He was so fun and interesting, full of humor and mystery at the same time. Fionna constantly reveled in how well they got along. They were a perfect pair. Never was there a dull moment. The relationship seemed to be growing smoothly.

But, one odd morning, Fionna yawned, got up and got ready for the day, and wandered out to meet Cake in the kitchen. When she walked in, Cake had a terribly grumpy look on her face. Fionna sat down at the table, and before Fionna could even ask what was wrong, Cake tossed something on the table.

With an angry grunt, she said "that came for you."

She went to prepare breakfast, and left Fionna to stare at the envelope. In beautiful, yet shaky handwriting, it read 'My dearest, Fionna.'

Fionna's heart beat loud in her chest. She stared at the envelope, hoping if she stared hard enough, it would burst into flames.

She sat there for several more silent, thoughtful seconds, and then she made her decision.

She stood up, grabbed the envelope, and crumpled it.

Fionna walked calmly over to the trash can and tossed it in. Cake smirked as she followed Fionna out the door. She was proud of her no-longer-heart-broken Fionna.


"So, where are we off to today, Cake?" Fionna said cheerfully.

"I don't know, I didn't have anywhere really specific planned…" Cake pondered. Then she smiled, winking at Fionna. "But I'm sure we'll run into a vampire somewhere."

"Oh jeez," Fionna rolled her eyes. "I bet you're going to say that every time we leave the house now."

Cake shrugged. "I just…" She paused. "I just really think he's a good guy for you."

"Well he doesn't think that." Fionna said with a huff, crossing her arms and furrowing her eyebrows.

"What do you mean?" Cake sounded shocked. "Did he tell you he doesn't want a relationshi—"

"No, no, it's not that," Fionna reassured her, "it's just… he always comes back to the fact that he's a vampire."

"He eats shades of red," Cake pointed out. "All the vampires in Aaa can be sustained on red, they don't need blood."

"I know that, but you know… He's also part demon. He's from the Nightosphere. He told me that once." Fionna looked out in the distance, thinking about what the Nightosphere might hold.

"Well, scary things have never stopped us. Who cares if he's from the Nightosphere?" Cake said, puffing out her chest.

Fionna thought for a moment, not sure if she really wanted to know. But curiosity got the best of her. "Do you know anything about the Nightosphere, Cake?"

In her spookiest voice, Cake said "I hear it's a demonic wasteland full of chaos and engulfed in flames. It's ruled by a demon that they call the Lady of Evil. They say she's so evil; she can suck the soul out of any living thing. Of course that rarely happens because she hasn't been out of the Nightosphere in ages. I've never met anyone in my lifetime that's seen her or been to the Nightosphere in person. It could all be a myth."

"It can't be a myth; Marshall said that's where he grew up when he was really little." Then, upon realization, Fionna shuddered. "Man, that sounds like a terrible place to grow up."

"Well he is the Vampire King. I've heard some say he might rule over all the demons." Cake said, nudging Fionna. "You seem to attract royalty." She chuckled.

Fionna sighed. "Yeah, I don't know anything about that, either. I mean, he doesn't even act like a king. Ever."

"Why don't you ask him?"

"Oh, Cake, I've tried. He's just so set on keeping his whole past a mystery to me." She said, frustrated.

"Time, honey." Cake assured her. "Time will reveal all."

"Thank you, oh wise cat," Fionna teased.

Cake flicked her with her tail, and the pair laughed as they strolled along the fields of Aaa. Cake looked up, examining the sky.

"Hey," she said, "it looks like it's going to be a good day today. Since the wind is going north, the clouds seem like they might clear."

"Oh, yeah!" Fionna said cheerfully, looking at the small patches of sunlight far in the distance.

Cake's eyes were alight with the promise of an exciting day. "I wonder what we should do. We could go to the Wildberry Kingdom, or maybe we could visit—" Suddenly her face turned pale and her mouth went slack. "Oh no," she murmured.

"What?!" Fionna was alarmed.

"When Mo-Chro came by earlier he told me there were some fights breaking out in Lumpy Space and we were supposed to go help out! Oh, silly Cake! I totally forgot because I was so focused on that dumb letter!"

"Oh, glob!" Fionna shouted. "We better get to the portal then!" Fionna said.

But as the pair began to charge off, Fionna smacked right into someone.

"Ow, oh!" She jumped back, startled.

Looking down she saw red sneakers, and dark jeans covering lanky legs. She saw a soft red and black plaid shirt that looked perfect around a slim waist and chest. Her eyes traveled up to see Marshall's cool expression gazing down at her through his black hair.

"Hey," He said, calmly.

"Marshall!" Fionna almost squealed, grinning from ear to ear. Her mission to Lumpy Space completely fled her mind.

"Hey, Cake," Marshall said before Fionna could say anything. "There's this super radical guy over there and he's selling some amazing brownies." He jerked his thumb towards the forest that began nearby.

"Brownies!" Her eyes popped out of her head. "Oh, sweet babies!"

She scampered off at lightning speed, and as soon as her back was turned, Marshall took Fionna's hand. He spun her around like a dancer until they were nose-to-nose.

"Hello," he said, quietly.

"Hi," Fionna breathed, already falling into the kiss.

Marshall took her face in her hands and kissed her softly. It was delicate and welcoming and it made Fionna's toes tingle. When he broke away, he said, "How are you on this fine morning?"

Fionna giggled like a school girl, unable to hold it in. "Better since I ran into you."

"Literally," he laughed, pulling her in for another kiss.

"I didn't see any brow—Aye! Hey, lovebirds!" Cake yelled.

The vampire whispered with fake concern on Fionna's lips. "Oh no, she caught us in the act." Marshall pulled away and gave Cake a very phony, surprised expression. He even put one hand on his hip for added sass. "You didn't find him?"

"Hahaha," Cake wagged her finger, "You almost got me, demon-boy. I'm not amused."

"Oh, you know I love you, Cake," he smiled. "So where are we off to today?"

"There's been a few disputes in—"

Cake was cut off when the cloud cover moved away from the sun. Marshall was so enraptured by Fionna and Cake, his new beloved friends, he completely forgot about the danger he was in, forgetting to watch the sky.

He suddenly cried out as the sun rays came out from behind the clouds and singed his face.

"Marshall!" Fionna screamed as he crumpled to the ground. The pair gathered around his form as he cringed in pain.

"What is it?!"

"The sun," he rasped. He hunched over on the grass, hand gingerly touching his burned face.

Cake suddenly stretched to great proportions, covering the vampire.

"The sun? You get burned by the sun?!" Fionna was almost in tears, her eyes scanning Marshall, trying to find some way she could help.

He nodded, and Cake said "he still has the weaknesses of a vampire."

"Oh my glob, Marshall, I didn't even think about it! I'm so sorry!" Fionna said, caressing his face, examining the large affected area.

"It's alright," Marshall said, forcing a smile. "I'm usually pretty good at watching the weather." He cracked a weak smile, and his fangs glinted in the daylight. "I guess I forgot because I wanted to come see you so badly."

"Oh!" Fionna was laughing and tearing up. She felt a sort of love between her and Marshall she'd never experienced before, and it made her incredibly happy. "Marshall, I just—"

She trailed off, choking on sobs and giggles. She pulled herself together as she examined the wounds that covered most of the right side of his face.

"Come on, Cake," Fionna put her game face on. "We gotta get him back to his house. There he'll be able to—"

Fionna paused. Her words caught in her mouth. She'd never been to his house.

"Is it okay if we take you back to your house?"

"Yeah," He smiled.

Fionna nervously brushed a blonde lock of hair back into her hat. "I've never been there."

"There's a first time for everything." He replied as Fionna helped him to stand, letting him lean against her as they walked. Cake provided traveling shade above them.

"Well, I guess you'll have to tell us how to get there," The cat said.


Marshall's house was not anything Fionna had expected it to be like. It wasn't particularly scary or creepy. The only thing about it that made sense was that it was inside a large cavern, very fitting for a vampire.

When they reached the mouth of the cave, and reprieve from the unrelenting sunlight, Cake left them to get a head start on the Lumpy Space problem. She told Fionna to get there ASAP.

Fionna agreed, adjusting her grip on the nearly-limp Marshall. He seemed weaker from travelling, but he assured Fionna they were almost there.

"We just gotta go further into the cave." He said.

They traversed through the dark cavern, past large stalagmites, large puddles of dark cave water and they occasional bat. Dripping water echoing in the distance interrupted the silence. Fionna's eyes scanned the vast cave, awed at how tall the ceiling was and how far they had been walking. When she glanced back, the light of day was but a dot in her vision.

Soon, to Fionna's surprise, they came upon a house. A quite normal-looking house. It wasn't daunting or scary or haunted at all. It was just a house. A plain house with pink walls and a brown roof, completely normal and suburban. It even had a lawn. A lawn in the middle of a cave.

"Wow," Fionna couldn't help but saying, her astonishment getting the best of her.

"Yeah," Marshall managed a chuckled as they passed through the white picket fence.

"It's so…not scary."

Marshall looked at Fionna in a sidelong glance. "I never said that I wanted to be an evil demon. Nobody ever came and told me I have to sleep in a coffin."

Something in his tone made Fionna not want to press the subject anymore. Instead, she looked up at the house, smiling. "I think it's really nice."

Marshall looked away. He even looked a bit bashful, which made Fionna's heart swell for him even more so.

They managed to make it up the wood stairs and finally were at the door.

Marshall finally stood up straight, releasing Fionna and leaning against the door frame. Now that he was turned towards Fionna, she saw the severity of his wound. She cringed, feeling terrible about it.

"Thank you." Marshall said with his familiar grin.

"I'm really sorry about your—"

"No, don't try that. Don't feel like it's your fault." He said sternly. With a breath and a pause he said, "Just, thank you."

Fionna looked up at his face. She gazed at the many different emotions that can be seen on his face; depressed, indifferent, analytical, weary, damaged, content, and even fondness for Fionna. The mishap in the sun had shaken her up so much, she was happy to have him safe and sound right in front of her as they stood in the shade of his cave.

Marshall looked down at Fionna with a serious gaze, full of reserved love and adoration. A chunk of black hair hung in front of his eyes, and Fionna reached up and brushed It away, bringing her hand down to touch Marshall's cheek. To him, her eyes were so open and genuine. The Vampire King tried his hardest to show such sincerity in his eyes, but it wasn't something he was used to.

Lucky for him, Fionna didn't mind. She knew.

Fionna gently ran her thumb across the skin on his cheek that had been burned. It was already starting to heal. Fionna stared intently at the scarring, while Marshall was pleased with watching her concerned face. When she finally met his eyes, she moved in to kiss him.

Carefully caressing his scarring face, Fionna pulled Marshall in for a slow kiss. Deep and meaningful, it was exactly what Marshall needed. He quivered when Fionna touched the sensitive center of his burn; her soft fingers took great care. Marshall's body was pressed against the doorframe by Fionna, who slowly curled her other hand around his neck. Marshall did not hesitate to reciprocate Fionna's kiss, which satisfied her greatly.

Fionna finally pulled back, slowly separating their mouths, which had entangled themselves together. She looked up with long lashes and a strand of blonde hair casting shadows on her eyes. She didn't want to go, but after what Cake said about today's mission, she knew she had to leave Marshall. When it was time to say farewell, she stepped back a bit and lowered her hand.

"I gotta go." She said sadly.

As she left the cave, in a very cheesy, romantic voice, Marshall said just the right thing to turn Fionna's frown into a grin. "I'll be waiting for you 'til the sun goes down."


Marshall watched Fionna sprint out of the cave. He admired her perseverance, running straight from one good deed to the next. She was indeed the most incredible heroine he'd ever met.

He had a smile on his face watching her, but it quickly morphed into a frown as she faded out of sight. He wasn't pleased one of his very few weaknesses had kept him down as if he was injured. Using the wall for support, he slowly walked through the house and up the ladder to his bedroom. He went into the bathroom and examined his face in the mirror. He scoffed at himself. Injured? It's barely a scratch. Why am I so weak?!

While the wound from the sun wasn't all that small; it covered most of his right cheek and forehead in scorched skin, it wasn't that big of a wound for Marshall. He was puzzled.

I've had a lot worse than this, he thought recalling events from his past, and I've still got back up to fight. He touched the wound gingerly, trying to think of a reason why it had made him so weak. He had accelerated healing as most vampires did, but this wound seemed to be taking longer to heal than most. Why?

It wasn't because of Fionna, right? I mean, she's just a human, she doesn't have any magical properties that he knew of. And Cake, well, Marshall knew about Cake's powers and they couldn't affect him in any way. So why did he not feel like himself?

"Ah!" He cried out, suddenly doubling over, clutching the sink with one hand and his stomach with the other. An incredibly sharp pain erupted in his torso, like fire. "No," He gasped. A sweat broke out on his forehead as he tried to ward off the pain. He stumbled into the hallway, leaning against the wall. He clutched his forehead as the pain traveled into his head and throughout his body.

Suddenly he realized it wasn't just pain, it was an urge. A pull from his soul. He felt it and he knew what was happening. "No, no, no." He begged. "Not now." Not when so many good things have been happening to him. Why would she be doing this now? He made his way downstairs, stumbling and knocking a picture off the wall. He made it into the kitchen and leaned against the doorframe. He breathed heavily, winded from the effort. The pain spiked again and Marshall heard a voice.

"Come on, Marshy."

"No!" He yelled into the empty house. "Not right now! Please!"

Marshall's voice was rising in hysteria. He felt like a voodoo doll, getting punched and poked and prodded by an invisible force.

"It's time, Marshall." The voice said again, echoing in his dark mind.

"No! Do not do this to me right now!"

"When is it ever going to be time for you? You're always going to be floundering around in your stupid candy land strumming on an old piece of junk with strings."

"SHUT UP!" Marshall roared, his demon eyes flashed suddenly, shadows swirling around him.

He covered his face with his hands, regaining his composure. Taking a deep breath, he looked up and the house was quiet and the voice said no more. He collapsed onto his couch. The pain was slowly subsiding and he knew he had kept her at bay. He breathed a sigh of relief.

He looked out the window, hoping Fionna would be back soon. He was able to fend her off this time, but he had no idea how long he had until she returned.


Fionna walked cautiously into the cave. Since this was only the second time she had ever been to Marshall's house, her stomach was filling with butterflies. Although she knew she was going to see Marshall, whom she trusted, the dank and eerie cavern gave her an uneasy feeling as she strode along.

It was nearly dark now, and Fionna was more than eager to see Marshall again. She remembered that the last time she was here she didn't actually go inside the vampire's house, only stood outside. The thought made her even more nervous.

She finally reached the house that sat among the stalagmites and puddles that dotted the cave. The adventuress tried to put on a confident face as she walked up the creaky wooden steps, but she didn't feel very confident. The setting sun cast shadows all around the cave and on the house, and Fionna couldn't help but be a bit intimidated.

Fionna rapped her knuckles on the door three times, and then waited.

Just a heartbeat later, the door creaked, and slowly slid open. It opened to reveal a very conventional-style house. It had wallpaper and a couch and a kitchen, and it didn't look creepy at all. It didn't seem scary, like Fionna had anticipated.

But then again, the door had just opened suddenly and she couldn't see anyone.

"Marshall?" She called into the dark room. Her voice seemed too loud in the silent house. Nothing moved, nothing made a sound. For a moment, Fionna thought Marshall had left.

She took a step through the threshold. "Hello?" She took another step, then another. She felt like an intruder. "Marshall?" She called again. Above her something rustled.

On her fourth step, something dropped behind her with a loud THUMP!

Fionna whirled around. Before her brain could even process that it was Marshall's tall form, he had struck his foot out, slamming the door shut with a loud BAM! He grabbed her arms with a dark look in his eyes, pushed her swiftly into the wall near the door, and kissed her.

She nearly screamed, but then was silenced by his lips. She let out a garbled noise of surprise before she processed everything. She soon began relaxing into the kiss after that shocking welcome. The squeal of surprise morphed right into a satisfied moan. Marshall's familiar mouth pushed hers wider and wider, changing angles almost rapidly. The kiss became very deep, and even Marshall couldn't hold in a low groan.

It was a fierce kiss for a moment, when he slammed her back against the wall, but then it slowed into something more peaceful. His hands moved up to cradle her face. The room around Fionna was much darker with the door closed, but that didn't matter, because she just closed her eyes and let Marshall embrace her.

Marshall slowly pulled back, letting his teeth gaze Fionna's lower lip as they parted. His expression soon turned from sultry into a wide grin.

"Cake was right," Fionna whispered, well out of breath, "You are trouble."

Marshall let out a slow sigh, pushing his forehead to hers. "I missed you."

"Yeah." Fionna poked him in the abs playfully through his plaid shirt. "I can tell."

Marshall took the hand she used to poke him and slowly brought it to his face, reveling in her soft touch. His eyes were dark and brooding, and they looked at Fionna in a way she couldn't describe.

"I don't think I tell you how beautiful you are enough," Marshall murmured.

"Thank you," Fionna smiled at this, but she seemed mildly worried, looking into Marshall's eyes. Something seemed wrong. Something seemed different. "Are you okay, Marshall…" Fionna's words trailed off as he gently took her head and tipped it to the side, revealing her vulnerable pink flesh. He tenderly placed loving kisses down her neck, sucking softly occasionally.

"Mhm, better now that you're here" He murmured absently.

As his mouth traveled up and down her neck and shoulders, Fionna's legs began to feel weak. She closed her eyes, and it was all she could do to keep from whimpering. Her face grew hot and her body tingled. She ached for Marshall's mouth on hers again. She leaned up to his mouth again.

"Marshall, kiss me again," She said with urgency.

"Someone missed me too, huh?" He said with a playful growl, grabbing her face again and pulling it to his. The dark, private feeling of Marshall's home only heightened the pair's excitement; they kissed each other more intensely than ever. Marshall's hands slid down her slight curves and she couldn't help but shudder.

"I did, I missed you so much," Fionna moaned when they broke for air. "Please, just kiss me harder. Please."

Pushing closer to the wall so their bodies were flush with each other, Marshall kissed Fionna so deeply he that he wondered if he might accidently swallow her. But the satisfying noises she elicited only encouraged him.

Her knees wobbled so much Marshall noticed.

"Whoa there," He said in a low voice, "I thought I was the injured one." He slid his hands onto her thighs, picking her up in a straddle. She wrapped her legs around his torso and the kiss never slowed its pace. As he carried her to his couch he murmured, "I don't want you fainting on me."

Fionna giggled quietly in response, pulling his lips to hers by his shirt collar as soon as they were settled on the couch. She pushed his lips open with her tongue with such force he groaned loudly, arching up from where he sat. This just caused her to yank on his plaid button-up even more, making the kiss deeper, more intense.

He cradled her face in his hands, always trying to remind himself that she was delicate, despite the fact that she acted invincible. He slid his hands further up to her butt, pushing her skirt away, and she didn't even show any bashfulness. If anything, she moaned and shoved her tongue down his throat.

His hands squeezed her bum in response and she broke the kiss with a sharp gasp.

For a split second, Marshall was worried he went too far, but suddenly she was kissing him again, saying against his lips, "so that's how you wanna play?"

Distracting him with a fierce kiss, she began to rip open the buttons on his shirt. He groaned loudly as Fionna ran her small fingers down his chest and onto his abs, leaving trails of heat on his skin.

"Mmm," Fionna murmured, her hands playfully teasing with feather light touches up Marshall's abs. "You're pretty fit for 1003."

"Always one for jokes," he gasped. "How do you do that? I can't even think of jokes right now." He sighed, right now the world was only Fionna and her touch and her lips and her everything.

He began to kiss hungrily down her neck again, wondering dangerously close to her chest. Her head fell back, and his tongue went a bit too close to her shirt collar, and she shivered involuntarily. With a sigh, she responded, "come to think of it, I can't think of anymore right now."

Marshall chuckled mischievously. "That's it, don't think" he murmured, kissing anywhere he could elicit the most noises. He soon moved up and kissed her passionately on the mouth again. It was all teeth and tongue, fierce and fiery.

His hands slid up her shirt, fingers caressing her sides. He pushed his forehead against hers to pull back from the kiss. His voice was soft. "Are you sure this is okay?"

Fionna pulled back all the way and put her hands on either side of his face. "Of course it is, I love you." She said with a grin. Her thumb ran up and down his cheek. "Hey, your face is all better."

"Accelerated healing," He murmured, closing his eyes and leaning back into the kiss. Fionna's hands caressing his cheekbones were somehow very pleasurable. He kissed her deeply again, satisfied with the moans he received. He nipped at her neck and collarbone, and Fionna breathed out sharply, her hips bucking up on his lap. Marshall's own hips began to move, creating much-wanted friction.

With his free hand, he slid a finger into the strap of her underwear. When Fionna broke away to moan, he murmured against her lips, "I don't think you're gonna need these for a while."


When Fionna got home much later that night, she found Cake asleep at the kitchen table. When she opened the wooden door with a squeak, Cake awoke with a start.

"Oh, what, where?!" She blinked a few times in the darkness, her eyes adjusting. "Oh, Fi, you're back."

"Cake," she said mildly concerned. "You waited up for me?"

Cake looked confused, as if wondering why she had done that. Then she frowned. "Oh yeah… Now I remember."

Lifting her arms off the table, she revealed a small stack of crisp, white letters. "Mo-Chro hasn't stopped coming all day and all night. He's exhausted, but PG just keeps sending these."

Fionna covered her mouth with her hands out of shock. "Oh, Cake! What should I do?!"

Cake pushed the letters to the other side of the table, looking at them with disgust.

"I think you should just burn them all. I'll go turn on the stove," Cake replied, rising from the table.

"No, Cake!" She pulled her cat back to the table. "What if something's wrong in the Candy Kingdom?!"

"Don't be so dramatic, Fi," Cake sighed, sinking back into the chair. "He's just all gummed up about you having a boyfriend. It's called jealousy, it's very common."

"Cake, Gumball is more sophisticated than that. This doesn't seem like him."

"Just because he's royalty, honey, doesn't mean he's not like every other guy out there."

"I'm serious, Cake. Gumball just isn't the type to get jealous. You know that he had other things to worry about. He wouldn't freak out like this unless something was wrong." Fionna argued.

"Fine, baby. If you must, open the stupid things. Just know, if you do, you're not going to have to live with whatever sort of terrible words he may have written."

"Cake," Fionna said, astonished, "why the heck do you think it's something bad?!"

"Honey, a jealous man is a dangerous one."

"Oh, you're just being ridiculous. I already said he is not jealous." Fionna retorted, picking up one of the letters.

"Fi, baby," Cake yawned, clearly tired of their banter, "you don't need to defend him so much."

"I'm not defending him, I just know him, this doesn't sound like—" Fionna trailed off as her eyes began to travel the urgent cursive scrawl.

My Dearest, Fionna,

I understand if you are still angry with me, you have every right to be. But please, I need to know you are getting my letters. I swear they have nothing to do with me personally or my feelings for that matter; I just want to know you're okay. You're walking into a dangerous situation.

Please heed my warning. It's only out of the goodness of my heart.

Sincerely,

~ Prince Gumball

"What the heck?" Fionna said, confused.

She picked up another letter, tossing the opened one on the table. "What is it, babe?" Cake said, picking up the letter.

The next one Fionna opened wasn't much different.

My Dearest, Fionna,

Please, please, reply to my letters. I am ashamed to beg, but I have no choice. I'm worried something terrible may have happened to you. You just don't understand the history of this man. I'm not saying this for my own personal gain. I just need you to understand that he's not good for you.

Please, send me some sort of sign that you're okay.

Sincerely,

~ Prince Gumball

"This is so weird, Cake. They all basically say the same thing."

Fionna dropped her latest letter on the table and crossed the room to the trash can. She dug until she found the crumpled envelope with her name on it. Opening it with shaky hands, she read.

My Dearest, Fionna

I know you are angry with me. And I understand, but please, don't disregard this letter. It is imperative that you continue to read. I did not want to intervene, but I fear you are in too much danger.

I advise that you cease all communications with Marshall Lee. I'm sure you've already learned he's a vampire and demon hybrid, but I don't think you understand how dangerous that makes him. I know you are a fantastic warrior, and I know you can clearly defend yourself, but you still don't understand, he can overpower you easily. He is truly evil. Marshall has quite a long history that I doubt you know about. I can't word this any other way; he is simply no good for you. Please, think about the kind of people you surround yourself with, it could be imperative to your health. If I can help or assist you in anyway, please do not hesitate to ask. I am here for you.

Sincerely,

~ Prince Gumball

She reread it several times, thoughts swirling in her mind, wondering what on earth PG was thinking. Then she easily crumpled it up again. As she did she felt her heart hardening, and it wasn't a good feeling.

"You were right, Cake," Fionna said, expressionless, "he's jealous."

Cake came over to rub Fionna's back as she tossed the crumpled paper in the wastebasket again. "Don't worry, Fi. We'll get through this. I'll think of something to tell Mo-Chro tomorrow. For now, let's just go to bed."

Fionna nodded, walking to the bedroom like a zombie. As she walked, she couldn't help but look at the stack letters on the table. They seemed to stare back at her, leaving a horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach, making her question whether her decision was right or wrong.


Marshall turned over and over on his couch. His eyes were bloodshot and his stomach ached. He sat up, staring out the front window at the moon. He hated this, he hated himself, he hated his entire existence right now.

He constantly asked why this was happening to him, just because he was hoping it was all a nightmare, but he knew.

It was his mother. She had long since wanted him to take over the Nightosphere, but Marshall had clearly voiced to her he didn't want to lead that life. He wanted to be on his own, on the surface. They had constantly fought about it until he found his way to Aaa.

A sharp pang of pain ripped at his chest. He knew she was trying to take him over, tap into the terrible demon blood she passed down to him. She wanted him to become completely demon, a monster.

"Well, I don't want to!" He wailed out the window into the silence, clutching his chest.

He wished Fionna was here, but he knew he couldn't keep her all night. He loved her, but he refused to tell her anything was wrong. But it was getting worse and he wasn't sure about what he should do.

He didn't feel like a monster when she was around. She always looked at him in a way he'd never been looked at before. It was as if she saw nothing but good in him, like he had a pure soul. He wished he saw that gaze beside him right now. When Fionna was gone he pined for her presence, for her to give him peace of mind.

Be realistic, Marshall, he chastised himself. She's a human, she has a life. She has to sleep and eat and do all the stuff humans do.

"And you're just a monster without a heartbeat," he told himself aloud. "You don't even deserve love from a human."

Then the pain started back up again in his torso. He felt the evil like an animal churning up his insides. It was so strong this time he actually cried out.

"Oh, why can't you stop?!" He screamed at a person who wasn't there, a person who wasn't going to listen.